Lexington + Louisville are the two powerhouse cities of Kentucky with a complicated relationship — ahem, Governor’s Cup, Cats vs. Cards, and horse racing. Each city has its own unique attributes, and combined, they are the economic + cultural centers of the Bluegrass.
As we look to our home state’s birthday on June 1, we’re exploring this sibling relationship with a little game of compare + contrast of the two.
Lexington’s history
Historically, Lexington is the first born. Founded in 1775 and was once deemed the “Athens of the West,” Lexington was the largest and wealthiest town west of the Appalachian mountains — boasting the new west’s first newspaper, first college (hi, Transy), and the state’s oldest operating business.
Louisville’s history
Louisville — founded three years later in 1778 by George Rogers Clark — was also growing during this time, just not as quickly as Lexington. But it wouldn’t take long for little brother to outgrow big brother.
The advent of the steamboat in the 1800s sped things up + initiated booming industrial trades. By 1830, River City became, and has remained, the largest city in Kentucky.
And there’s a lot to be known for when you’re Kentucky’s largest city for 150+ years — from inventing the cheeseburger to making 90% of the world’s disco balls to being the birthplace of Muhammad Ali.
While there are many things we could pit against the two cities, we’re breaking down who takes home the roses in six categories — bourbon, horse racing, outdoor rec, food + drink, and, of course, basketball.
Bourbon | Winner: Louisville
Louisville is the gateway to Bourbon Country. Not only is it the birthplace of Kentucky’s first commercial distillery Evan Williams, but they also have the Urban Bourbon Trail running through the city that features 10 distilleries + ~50 bourbon-centric bars and restaurants.
Lexington also sits along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, featuring six different stops within city limits where you can taste and try our beverage of choice.
After all, Lexington is the Horse Capital of the World.
Photo by @maxcaswellphotos
Horses | Winner: Lexington
Louisville might host the most exciting two minutes in sports, but Lexington is home to ~150 horse farms where many of those four-legged athletes are born. Hop on Old Frankfort Pike + you’ll pass the fence-lined fields of Three Chimneys, Airdrie Stud, and Stone Street.
And we can’t mention horses without talking about Keeneland. You can always bet on a good time when visiting the historic racecourse during its Fall + Spring racing meets. There’s a reason why we’re the Horse Capital of the World.
Murals | Winner: Lexington
Look up y’all, art is everywhere in LEX and LOU. In fact, Louisville artist Liz Richter — a local muralist herself — offers a NULU Mural Walking Tour.
But even on the cloudiest day in Lexington, the downtown cityscape is bright with walls filled with colorful scenes. Horses, happy monsters, historical figures — we’ve got them all. Local nonprofit PRHBTN and local artist Wylie Caudill are literally painting the town. With new city artwork popping up seemingly every day, Lexington wins with a mural scene that is picture perfect.
Food | Winner: Louisville
Louisville takes the cake as a foodie city ranking No. 29 on WalletHub’s “Best Foodie Cities in America” with Lexington coming in the 62nd spot.
Take a bite out of these four Louisville foodie accolades:
- LOU’s Chef Edward Lee is a nine-time James Beard Award nominee, and his most recent restaurant Nami was named one of the 50 best new restaurants in America.
- In 2023, Derby City ranked No. 9 on Travel + Leisure’s “The Best Food Cities in the U.S.”
- River City was also listed as one of “The Most Vegan and Vegetarian-Friendly Cities of 2023” by 24/7 Wall St.
- Three “Chopped” champions hail from Derby City.
That’s not to say Lexington doesn’t offer its fair share of good eats. You can’t go wrong with any number of chef Ouita Michel‘s restaurants around town — Honeywood, Zim’s Cafe + Windy Corner Market are all fantastic options.
Plus, the 100 block of N. Limestone is prime with brunch spots from restaurants like Corto Lima, Pearl’s Pizza + Minglewood.
Outdoor Recreation | Winner: Tie
Louisville is home to the famed Olmsted Parks Conservancy, which boasts having one of only four completed park systems designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. It also has the largest municipally-owned urban forest in the US, the Jefferson Memorial Forest.
Lexington’s park system, while not as extensive as Louisville’s, has some of the most idyllic getaways in town — we recommend Raven Run Nature Sanctuary + Jacobson Park to relax and recreate. Plus, just a short drive down the road are two of Kentucky’s crown jewels — Red River Gorge + Daniel Boone National Forest.
Both cities have amazing opportunities for outdoor recreation, so we are calling this one a tie.
Basketball | Winner: Lexington
The basketball rivalry between UK + UofL is considered to be one of the most intense in college sports. These two teams first faced each other in 1913, but didn’t routinely face off against one another until after they met in the NCAA Tournament in 1983.
In order to determine the clear winner here, we have to break this rivalry down by the numbers:
- The two teams have played each other a total of 55 times — with the Wildcats leading the series 39-17.
- Kentucky has won ~2,300 games with a total winning percentage of .762.
- Louisville has won ~1,700 games with a total winning percentage of .652.
- Kentucky has won a total of eight NCAA Division I Championships.
- Louisville has won a total of
threetwo NCAA Division I Championships.
The numbers don’t lie. Over the years, Kentucky has been the more formidable opponent in this series. That doesn’t make this rivalry any less intense every year.
Just like our state motto says, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall.”
